Relocation to Austin Help (Houston, Dallas: crime, home, job market)

[LSmith]

My husband and 5 year old boy visited Austin in August and fell in love with it. My husband has been trying to find a comparable position (we are from the burbs in Pittsburgh) but hasn't had any bites (he is a Finance Manager with MBA and 10 + years experience). Any suggestions on companies or the job market? I would like to stay home and raise our children, and we need to compensate for my salary. Is Austin a good place to raise a family? We are also considering Houston or Dallas. Thanks for your ideas. L

[jslatch]

I can't give you specific job advice, but I think there would be opportunities here. Personally, I think the cost of living here is very good (but going up!), but it depends on what you're used to.

What I can comment on is that it is an excellent place to raise a family. My kids aren't yet school-age (and obviously it depends on the school district), but there are a zillion parks and things to do and very nice people here.

In the summer, there are a lot of low or no cost swimming options and other ways to keep cool, and in the winter, it is almost never too cold to play outside. The neighborhood associations are very active, and crime is relatively low.

For me, one of the best things Austin has going for it is its size. It's big enough to have a lot of choice in things to do but small enough that there is a real sense of community. People are happy here and are kind to each other. There is a real team spirit about it - people root for the same things, whether its the Texas Longhorns, homegrown Austin bands or Austin businesses.

Another plus - something that has become important to me - is that there is a lot of interest in organics here. Whole Foods is based here, and almost all of the grocery stores here have a large selection of organics - it's part of the ethos of the city (at least in my opinion). To me, that's family friendly.

Hope this helps!

[jwynne2000]

The job market in Austin for high-experience professionals like your husband is skewed heavily toward high-tech and government. Some of the larger outfits here include Dell, Freescale, Silicon Labs, etc. AMD and IBM also have substantial operations here.

...so, if your husband can land a job with a company like that, you're all set. What exactly does a "finance manager" do? There are a few financial-services type operations here, but nothing compared to what Dallas or Houston could offer in that arena.

[ohio2texas]

We absolutely love it here. We moved from Akron, Ohio (just south of Cleveland) and have never regreted it. We have a 2 and a half year old and are looking forward to raising him here. We decided to live in a suburb (Cedar Park) and are very happy there.